Narendra Modi: India called Pakistan's bluff with air strikes

Narendra Modi. Pic/PTI

Kathua (Jammu and Kashmir): India has called nuclear-armed Pakistan's bluff with its air strikes on terror camps in that country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, adding that one country cannot have two Prime Ministers.

Referring to the air strikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Balakot, Modi told an election rally here: "Pakistan and its supporters have been threatening us for long with its nuclear capability but the IAF called its bluff with its strikes.

"Those days are gone when India would give in to threats. This is a new India and it will strike terrorists well inside their hideouts across the border," he thundered.

In his speech, Modi took on both the Congress as well as the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Accusing the Congress and its allies of always criticizing him for highlighting India's security situation, he said: "They do so because they never fully trusted the country's defence forces. "The Congress always restricted our Army from going all out against terrorists. It has used the defence forces only for income generation, be it Bofors or helicopter deals. The Congress and its allies keep politics above the security of the country.

"Some people are so involved in anti-Modi tirade that they have forgotten the security of the country," he said.

Modi accused the National Conference and PDP of supporting separatism. "They threaten India with a separate Prime Minister and also separation of the state from the country.

"I want to make it clear to these separatist supporters that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so. The people of J&K are not the slaves of the Abdullahs and the Muftis whose three generations have ruled this state.

"It was in Kathua that Shyama Prasad Mookerjee unfurled the tricolour and Prem Nath Dogra stood with him. One country cannot have two Prime Ministers, two flags and two Constitutions. That commitment made by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee is our firm resolve," he said.

"These corrupt families of J&K must know that Modi will stand like a wall against their attempts to continue their family rule in the state. They may keep abusing me but they will not succeed in dividing this country.

"They have already destroyed three generations of people in the state."

Modi also promised citizenship rights for West Pakistan refugees and the return of Kashmiri Pandit migrants to the Kashmir Valley once he was voted back to power.

The Prime Minister said while did not doubt Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's nationalist credentials, "he was under tremendous pressure from the Congress family not to attend the official function at Jallianwala Bagh in memory of the martyrs."

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